THE CUBA REVIEW 



25 



CUBAN COMMERCIAL MATTERS 



ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES FOR SOUTHEASTERN 

 CUBA 



In Santiago de Culxi and throughout this 

 consuhir district there is a constantly in- 

 creasing demand for electrical supplies and 

 apparatus of various kinds. Especially is this 

 true in the interior of the district, where manj- 

 improvements are being made on sugar plan- 

 tations and new mills are being erected. 

 Further, all cities of any size within this dis- 

 trict are supplied with electric lights, and the 

 plants are, in general, sufficiently large to fur- 

 nish current for other purposes. 



For several j-ears the United States has 

 dominated the Cuban market in this par- 

 ticular line of goods, but this does not alter 

 the fact that the business maj- be considera- 

 ably augmented now. (In the fiscal year 1914, 

 the United States exported to all Cuba $1,- 

 222,914 worth of electrical machinery, appli- 

 ances, and instruments; in 1915 the ship- 

 ments fell some $250,000 below this, the exact 

 figure lieing $973,177, made up of: Batteries, 

 $43,084; dynamos or generators, $34,669; 

 fans, $17,249; insulated wire and cables, 

 $166,026; interior wiring supplies, etc., in- 

 cluding fixtures, $119,350; arc lamps, $2,107; 

 incandescent lamps — carbon filament, $6,081, 

 metal filament, $74,166; meters and other 

 measuring instrument, $57,657; motors, $136,- 

 418; static transformers, $45,779; telegraph 

 instruments, including wireless apparatus, 

 $548; telephones, $76,079; all other, $211,213.) 



Market for Novelties. 



There is a steady call for ordinary electrical 

 supplies such as are in general use, and an 

 excellent opportunity presents itself to create 

 a demand for various kinds which are popular 

 and of more recent development. Meters of 

 alternating-current types and also trans- 

 formers for lighting and power purposes are 

 in use here, but such supplies are purchased 

 direct from the United States and are not 

 carried in stock by any of the local dealers. 



The capacity of the Santiago plant is 2,300 

 kilowatts alternating current and 800 kilo- 

 watts direct. On the alternating current, the 

 frecjuency of cycles is 60; phases usually used 

 for motors, 3; and the voltage 110 and 220. 

 The street railway voltage is 550 direct cur- 

 rent. — Consul P. Merrill Griffith, Santiago. 



MOTOR BOATS FOR EASTERN CUBA. 



Santiago de Cuba is situated on a bay about 

 6 miles from the sea. On the opposite side of 

 the bay are several small villages, where are 

 located the summer homes of Santiago's most 

 prominent families. There is also a yacht 

 club, with nearly 300 members, and the 

 fishing in the bay is excellent. These facts, as 

 a matter of course, make a demand for motor 

 boats, of which there are comparatively few, 

 the demand being chiefly for a strongly built 

 boat of medium price. — Consul P. Merrill 

 Grijfith, tSuntiago. 



CONDENSED MILK 



The proposal of the establishment of con- 

 densed milk factories in Cuba is being seri- 

 ously considered. In 1914 Cuba imported 

 28,863,344 pounds of condensed milk. The 

 Secretar}^ of Agriculture in Cuba, General 

 Nunez, after discussing the matter with ex- 

 perts in the manufacture of condensed milk, 

 has decided to give whatever assistance his 

 department can to encourage the manufac- 

 ture of condensed milk in Cuba. It is stated 

 that one factory has been established in 

 Camaguey Province, and has succeeded in 

 producing a satisfactory outturn. 



JERKED BEEF 



Argentine jerked beef (tasajo) costs thirty- 

 five cents per pound in Cuba. According to 

 recent experiments, it is estimated that a satis- 

 factory brand can be made in Cuba at a cost 

 of not over fifteen cents per pound. 



GREAT BRITAIN'S INVESTMENTS IN CUBA 



It is estimated that Great Britain has in- 

 vested in Cuban enterprises £46,257,800, 

 upon which there is an annual return of £2,- 

 180,165, paying 4.7% average annual return. 



U S. TRADE WITH CUBA 



Merchandise Exports of the United States 

 to'Cuba for the year ending June 30th: 

 • ' 1915 1914 



r" ^ $75,530,000 $68,884,000 



.In increase of $6,646,000 or 8.8%. 



